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O My Neighbors, There Is No Neighbor, Harris B. Bechtol

All Faculty Scholarship (Archived)

This article meditates on the Christian command to love the neighbor as yourself by focusing on how both Jacques Derrida and Søren Kierkegaard have read this command. I argue that Derrida, failing in his faithfulness to Kierkegaard, makes a mistake when he includes this command in the Greek model of the politics of friendship in his Politics of Friendship. Such a mistake is illumined by Kierkegaard’s understanding of the neighbor in this command from Works of Love because this understanding helps to develop Derrida’s vision of a democracy and politics that resists the hegemony of the masculine and remains …

Brett Kavanaugh Vs. The Exonerated Central Park Five: Exposing The President's "Presumption Of Innocence" Double Standard, Sofia Yakren

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

(Excerpt)

In the service of Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the United States Supreme Court, the President of the United States (and Republican Senators) both misappropriated and further eroded the already compromised concepts of due process and presumption of innocence. This Essay uses the prominent “Central Park Five” case in which five teenagers of color were wrongly convicted of a white woman’s widely-publicized beating and rape to expose the President’s disparate use of the presumption along race and status lines. This narrative is consistent with larger systemic inequities that leave poor black and brown criminal defendants less likely to benefit …

Hearing Women: From Professor Hill To Dr. Ford, Stephanie M. Wildman

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

(Excerpt)

One of the recent traumas, another skirmish in today’s civilian conflict over what kind of society America will be, arose from Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony about sexual assault she had endured. Her composed, measured statement during the nowJustice Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearing exemplified bravery in the face of adversity. The Senate and the nation’s response to her testimony underscored the high stakes in the ongoing ideological conflict, beyond the obvious prize of a Supreme Court seat. Constituents in the current ideological battle had differing reactions to Ford’s testimony and to this hearing, reflecting a range of views about …

"I Still Like Smear": The Senate Judiciary Committee's Obstructing Politics Surrounding The Kavanaugh Hearing And A Solution To The Chaos That Ensued, Frank J. Tantone

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

(Excerpt)

The incredible events and raucous behavior by members of the Committee that colored Justice Kavanaugh’s confirmation process rose to a level of intensity and virulence never seen before in this specific area of American government and politics. Nevertheless, the most analogous situation that somewhat closely reflects the events that transpired in 2018 occurred seventeen years earlier. President George H.W. Bush, on July 1, 1991, nominated then District of Columbia Circuit Court Judge, Clarence Thomas, to replace Justice Thurgood Marshall on the Supreme Court. Thomas’s confirmation hearing was also opposed from the outset but by civil rights and feminist organizations …

How The Boogeyman Saved Brett Kavanaugh, Cathren Page

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

(Excerpt)

We love to hate these boogeymen. When the societal narrative creates these invisible boogeymen, people can pour their rage against sexual abuse into these faceless antagonists. At the same time, the enraged survivors and protectors avoid conflicts with family, neighbors, colleagues, and social acquaintances who might actually commit or enable sexual abuse. We can dodge sticky questions regarding how a churchgoer, a judge, or an Ivy Leaguer could have committed a heinous act. The survivors can avoid all the victim-blaming backlash, threats of violence, and invalidation that accompanies reporting a sexual offense. Moreover, having less power on their own, …

The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle The Master's House: Kavanaugh's Confirmation Hearing And The Perils Of Progressive Punitivism, Hadar Aviram

Journal of Civil Rights and Economic Development

(Excerpt)

This essay proceeds in four parts. In Part I, I problematize the idea of the accused’s demeanor as evidence of guilt, remorse, or entitlement, arguing that we tend to overestimate our ability to deduce internal states of mind from people’s behavior and expressions. Part II assesses the potential (or lack thereof) of public performances of reckoning to produce a valuable expression of remorse, discussing the value of contingent apologies. Part III expands the framework to examine the way our politically fractured field responds to partisan efforts to excoriate culprits, arguing that “starting a national conversation” on the basis of …

November 14, 2019: What’S Wrong With Impeachment, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “What’s Wrong With Impeachment“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

Muslims And Islam In U.S. Public Schools: Cases, Controversies And Curricula, Engy Abdelkader

Hastings Race and Poverty Law Journal

In recent years, controversies surrounding curriculum and instruction about Muslims and Islam in U.S.

public schools have become more common. In some instances, Muslim American parents and students

have challenged representations that spread and reinforce denigrating stereotypes and misconceptions

about their faith and co-religionists. In a seemingly growing trend, however, some non-Muslim students

and parents are objecting to courses and programs due to perceived favorable or neutral treatment of the

Islamic faith. Such cases, controversies and curricula illustrate how popular anxieties surrounding the

integration of immigrant populations, particularly Muslims, are increasingly infecting classrooms,

school districts and communities. They also provide …

November 7, 2019: The Politics Of Carl Schmidt Versus The Politics Of Abraham Lincoln, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “The Politics of Carl Schmidt versus the politics of Abraham Lincoln“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

The Impact Of Political Decisions Within The Wto Dispute Settlement System: Political Negotiations Within Adjudication, Meaza Haddis Gebeyehu

Indonesian Journal of International Law

It is traditionally contended that politics and law are two separate domains of international relations among the main actors, states. As opposed to this thinking, international relations of the twenty-first century have been characterized by the continuing interaction of law and politics. As the main actors and participants in international law, states played and still play significant roles in this development. The growing sense of nationalism within states and the concomitant consequence of prioritizing their respective national interests led to the use, by these states, of international law as an instrument of justification. When international law is used this way, …

October 27, 2019: The Shooter And The Death Penalty, Bruce Ledewitz

Hallowed Secularism

Blog post, “The Shooter and the Death Penalty“ discusses politics, theology and the law in relation to religion and public life in the democratic United States of America.

State Constitutional Provisions Allowing Juries To Interpret The Law Are Not As Crazy As They Sound, Marcus Alexander Gadson

St. John's Law Review

(Excerpt)

This Article questions that consensus. Joining a larger debate about the jury’s proper role, it argues that, even today, these provisions are a defensible component of a criminal justice system. First, this Article argues that the jury is the entity in the justice system most incentivized to approach legal questions with an eye to what the best interpretation is and not the most politically palatable result. Second, this Article argues that the jury’s ability to deliberate and consider opinions from individuals hailing from a wider variety of backgrounds than those who typically become judges may provide advantages over a …

Canadian Muslim Voting Guide: Federal Election 2019, Jasmin Zine, Fatima Chakroun, Shifa Abbas

Sociology Faculty Publications

This guide assigns a grade to each federal political party Leader's response to identified key issues of importance to the interests of Canadian Muslims and the wider geopolitical concerns that affect Muslims globally. The criteria used to determine these grades has been based on whether a party leader's particular political standpoints and/or policy initiatives are positive or detrimental to the interests of Canadian Muslims and the wider geopolitical concerns that affect Muslims globally.

Equal In His Sight: An Examination Of The Evolving Opinions On Race In The Life Of Jerry Falwell, Sr., Kathryn Legg

Senior Honors Theses

The late Reverend Jerry Falwell, Sr., founder of Thomas Road Baptist Church and president of the Moral Majority, was a prominent figure in conservative politics beginning in the late 1970s. His opinions regarding preachers and politics changed throughout his life, as did his beliefs about race in America and the church. His views on race affected his preaching and political involvement, and in his later life he retracted from the segregationist beliefs he held at the beginning of his ministry. While Falwell’s prominent roles in the Religious Right and Moral Majority have previously been explored, this paper seeks to present …

Sanders, Lee And Sargent Families Papers, Mississippi State University Libraries

Special Collections Finding Aids

MSS. 574. 1850-2001 (Bulk Dates: 1860-1992). 6.8 cubic feet. The Sanders, Lee and Sargent families papers contain the papers of three Mississippi families related by marriage. The papers include correspondence, certificates and diplomas, deeds, newspaper clippings, genealogical material, publications, photographs, and artifacts.

Delta Ministry Collection, Mississippi State University Libraries

Special Collections Finding Aids

Acc. No. 78. The Delta Ministry Papers (1936, 1964-1971) contain correspondence, newspaper clippings, reports, proposals, minutes, memoranda, press releases, photographs, election and campaign materials, bills, receipts, and financial statements, mostly concerning politics, civil rights issues, and school desegregation.

Tombigbee Council On Human Relations Collection, Mississippi State University Libraries

Special Collections Finding Aids

MSS. 339. 1967-1976. 9 cubic feet. Folders include the Black Appalachian Commission, Black Arts Music Society, Black Candidates, Black Child Development Institute, Black Methodists for Church Renewal, Black Mississippians Council on Higher Education, Black Voice (hot line), Court Orders – Interracial Marriages, Equal Rights Amendment, Lowndes County Project – Black Voice, Medger Evers Fund Inc., NAACP, National Council of Negro Women, Office of Minority Business Enterprise, Race Relations Reporter, School Desegregation, and other racial topics and issues.

Citizens' Council Collection, Mississippi State University Libraries

Special Collections Finding Aids

MSS. 331. 1955-1967. 1 cubic foot. Includes correspondence, annual reports, and publications of the Association of Citizens' Councils of Mississippi, the Citizens' Council of America, and various other organizations. Includes correspondence, annual reports, and publications of the Association of Citizens' Councils of Mississippi, the Citizens' Council of America, and various other organizations. Among the documents are pamphlets opposing integration and promoting white supremacy.

Emmerich (John Oliver, Sr.) Papers, Mississippi State University Libraries

Special Collections Finding Aids

MSS. 429. 1877-1978. 6.5 cubic feet. Correspondence, clippings, biographical sketches, manuscripts, research material, publications, photographs, and memorabilia, of John Oliver Emmerich, Sr., editor and publisher of the McComb, Mississippi, Enterprise Journal. Much of the collection concerns Emmerich's career and his strong interest in McComb. Included are many photographs of and much research material about the history of McComb and Pike County, which were collected for the centennial edition of the Enterprise Journal.

Henry (Marion) Collection, Mississippi State University Libraries

Special Collections Finding Aids

MSS. 33. 1904-68. 0.66 cubic feet. Materials collected by Marion Henry, daughter of John Justus Henry, general agent of the Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad Company. Correspondence, including letters relating to the John J. Henry-Theodore G. Bilbo 1911 affair and other letters from prominent Mississippians; and broadside, newspaper clippings, and other papers concerning Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, the state of Mississippi, and U.S. and Confederate history. Correspondents include William Crump, A.H. Longino, T.C. Lowry, W.W. Magruder, and John Sharp Williams.

Conner (Douglas) Papers, Mississippi State University Libraries

Special Collections Finding Aids

MSS. 179. 1943-1993, 2011. 0.99 cubic feet. The Douglas Conner papers include the papers of Dr. Douglas L. Conner (1920-1998), prominent African-American physician and civil rights activist in Mississippi. The papers contain election materials, publications, organizational records, newspaper clippings, photographs, video tape and miscellany. Papers of prominent Starkville physician Douglas Conner include correspondence, press releases, tally forms, platforms and constitutions, audio interviews, clippings and other papers relating to the Mississippi Loyalist Democratic Party and the 1972 Democratic National Convention; civil rights materials concerning Starkville, Oktibbeha County and Mississippi State University; photographs and other materials documenting the education, career, and family …

Smith (Frank E.) Collection, Mississippi State University Libraries

Special Collections Finding Aids

MSS. 94. 1962-1973. 22 cubic feet. Collection of Frank Smith (1918-1997) includes the following: material pertaining to Mr. Smith's work with TVA; material accumulated as a result of his service on the Southern Regional Council; materials for the five volume series he edited, Conservation in the U.S.: A Documentary History.

Faulk (Charles Johnson) Papers, Mississippi State University Libraries

Special Collections Finding Aids

MSS. 514. circa 1864-1990 (Bulk Dates: 1940-1989). 7.5 cubic feet. The collection comprises the papers of Charles Johnson Faulk, Jr. (1915-1990), Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and executive editor of the Vicksburg Evening Post (Vicksburg, Mississippi). The bulk of the collection consists of photographs taken by Faulk or collected by him, and manuscripts and copies of articles and short stories he wrote, including an unpublished autobiography. Other materials include correspondence, newspapers, publications, oral interviews and artifacts.

Wlbt Archives, Mississippi State University Libraries

Special Collections Finding Aids

MSS. 366. 1967-1980. 155 cubic feet. Correspondence, memoranda, board minutes, programming logs, newscast scripts, photographs, videotapes, and news film documenting the policies and operation of television station WLBT in Jackson, Mississippi, during the period (1971-1980) in which Communications Improvement, Inc., a non-profit organization, held the station's interim license.

Cobb (Cully Alton) Papers, Mississippi State University Libraries

Special Collections Finding Aids

MSS. 47. 1932-1967. 10 cubic feet. Papers of Cully Alton Cobb (1884-1975), publisher and MSU graduate of the class of 1908 include correspondence relating to Mr. Cobb's candidacy for Secretary of Agriculture (1932-1933); correspondence, memoirs, government forms, clippings from Mr. Cobb's period of service with Agricultural Adjustment Administration (1933-1937); speeches, photographs, copies of certificates, genealogy The Cobbs of Tennessee; scrapbooks of Cobb's activities; other materials. See also Cully A. Cobb/Ruralist Press papers.

Cox (Allen Eugene) Papers, Mississippi State University Libraries

Special Collections Finding Aids

MSS. 45. 1880-1996 (Bulk Dates: 1935-1987). 47.75 cubic feet. The Allen Eugene Cox papers contain the papers of Allen Eugene Cox (1905-1992), former resident director of Providence Cooperative Farm, Holmes County, Mississippi, and later executive director of the Delta Foundation. The papers include correspondence, ledgers, newspaper clippings, publications, photographs and films. Correspondence, published material, clippings, and other material collected by Allen Eugene Cox of the Delta Foundation, chiefly pertaining to the racial problems in the South and cooperative farms. Includes information on the White Citizens' Council, Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, National Council of Churches, COFO, NAACP, SNCC and related organizations, …

Rand (Clayton) Papers, Mississippi State University Libraries

Special Collections Finding Aids

MSS. 91. 1918-1971. 33 cubic feet. Papers of Clayton Thomas Rand (1891-1971), author, columnist, speaker, and publisher of the Dixie Guide, Gulfport, Mississippi. Rand graduated from Mississippi A&M College in 1911, operated newspapers in Neshoba County and other parts of north Mississippi, and in the 1920's moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, where he resided until his death. Included are correspondence; manuscripts of speeches, books, pamphlets, and columns; financial records; clippings; printed material and photographs. The collection reflects Rand's varied activities and his political views.

Bradley (Norman And Frances Weems) Papers, Mississippi State University Libraries

Special Collections Finding Aids

MSS. 367. 1890-1981. 5 cubic feet. Correspondence, speeches, editorials, photographs, clippings, and memorabilia, relating primarily to Norman Bradley's career as a journalist and editor with the Jackson, Mississippi, Clarion-Ledger, the Associated Press, the Jackson State Times, The Chattanooga Post, and The Chattanooga Times. Frances Weems Bradley was the food editor of The Chattanooga Times.

Cobb (Cully A.) / Ruralist Press Papers, Mississippi State University Libraries

Special Collections Finding Aids

MSS. 74. 1906-1972. 20 cubic feet. Correspondence, reports, and other documents concerning Cully A. Cobb (1884-1975), his activities with the Cotton Division of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (1933-1937), his operation of the Ruralist Press in Atlanta, Georgia (1937-1971), and numerous other topics. Contains a large group of agricultural photographs accumulated for and used in The Ruralist, including photographs of African-Americans.

Toler (James Kenneth) Papers, Mississippi State University Libraries

Special Collections Finding Aids

MSS. 89. 1928-1966. 2 cubic feet. Papers of journalist Toler (1904-1966) include correspondence, speeches, press releases, clippings, and photographs, chiefly concerning political, legislative, and racial events in Mississippi, during his career as a correspondent for the Associated Press and the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Toler was born in Crowley, Louisiana, and attended Louisiana State University. He began his career on the Crowley Daily Signal. Toler's specialty was Mississippi politics. From 1928 on he covered the Mississippi legislature and the capitol, and his papers reflect that specialty in their documentation of the outstanding events of the period.